Bean Soup Recipe: Eclectic Pasta Bean Soup

Quick & Easy Vegetarian Stove Top or Crockpot Soup Recipe

Our quick & easy pasta bean soup recipe is actually more of a stew or casserole recipe than a soup. It can be made in about 30 minutes on the stove top. Or use your slow cooker or crockpot, and enjoy Eclectic Pasta Bean Soup for lunch or supper.

We call this pasta bean recipe eclectic because you can create many variations by changing the vegetables, pasta, and sauce, or substituting different beans, tempeh, seitan, or veg sausage.

Using fresh herbs takes a bit more time, (as in you have to remove leaves from stems and chop them) but they make any vegetarian soup recipe unbelievably delicious!

Overcooked pasta is not the height of culinary delight! And you can't cook it in a crockpot. When making this pasta recipe in the slow cooker or crockpot, pre-cook the pasta, lightly oil, and store it covered in the fridge. Set the slow cooker on high heat, then add the pasta 10 minutes or so before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c cooked garbanzo beans* (1 - 2 cans), drained & rinsed
• Optional: Substitute tempeh, veg sausage or seitan
• 3 C. bean cooking liquid*, vegetable stock, or water
• *If you want to cook your own beans, see the directions below
• 1 1/2 c. dry pasta (rotini or penne)
• 2 - 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced OR 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp minced jalapeño pepper (1/2 pepper) OR pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
• 2 celery stalks, sliced thin on the diagonal
• 2 small carrots peeled and sliced thin on the diagonal
• 2 cup sliced green beans
• 1 small green or red pepper, chopped
• 2 ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp dried basil leaves OR 1/4 C fresh chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme OR 1 sprig fresh
• 1 tsp dried marjoram OR 1 sprig fresh
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
• Ground black pepper to taste
• Optional: grated cheese

Directions:

1. Put 4 qts salted water on to boil for the pasta
2. Heat the oil on med-low in an 4 - 6 quart pan
3. Prep the veggies
4. Add the garlic, fresh ginger & jalapeño to the oil
5. Add the carrots, celery, pepper, green beans, and sauté 5 minutes on med/high heat
6. Add the FRESH herbs and tomatoes, sauté 2 minutes
7. Add the DRIED herbs and spices, sauté briefly
8. Drain and rinse the beans, then add to veggies
9. Optional: Instead of beans, add an equal amount of tofu, tempeh, seitan or veg sausage
10. Stir in the tomato paste, and 1 C of the liquid, cover and simmer until veggies are tender
11. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water for 5 minutes
12. Add the pasta to the veggie-bean mixture, and as much more liquid as you like
13. Cook for 5 more minutes
14. Add minced parsley, salt & pepper to taste
15. Serve in bowls, sprinkle with grated cheese or soy cheese if you like. Enjoy!

Slow cooker or crockpot directions:

1. After sautéing the veggies, combine everything except the cooked pasta in the slow cooker or crockpot
2. Cook covered for 3 - 4 hours on low. (temperature settings vary from one brand of crockpot to another)
3. Turn the crockpot to high heat, and add the pasta
4. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is hot

Bean Cooking Directions:

1. Note - Double the amount of beans to cook extra, to freeze, for future recipes. Using a pressure cooker greatly reduces cooking time, but don't omit the soaking. Cook different types of beans separately!
2. Soak beans 8 - 12 hours
3. Quick Soak: Rinse beans, cover with water (3 inches), bring to boil, take off heat, cover and soak 2 hours
4. Drain & rinse the soaked beans, cover with cold water to cover & bring to a boil
5. Drain and rinse beans, cover with cold water, bring to boil for ten minutes & skim the foam
6. Cover & simmer for 2 hours, until falling-apart tender
7. Crockpot cooking: After soaking and boiling, add beans & water to a preheated crockpot and cook on low for 8 - 10 hours